Sodium polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) was shown to be suitable as an additive for a highly concentrated coal water mixture (CWM) used by electric power plants. By combining PSS with an appropriate auxiliary CWM was able to be produced with various coals.
Using colloid vibration potential (CVP) technique by which the ζ-potential of particles in a concentrated colloidal dispersion can be measured, we have developed a novel technique to measure the ζ-potential of coal particles in CWM. By means of this technique the dispersion mechanism of CWM was estimated.
A technique for PSS production, in which styrene is polymerized by cationic polymerization and the resultant oligostyrene is sulfonated successively, was also developed.This new technique make possible the manufacture of PSS at low cost.
